


Kiin Do Dovah Sos

by Pandorarama



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Implied Sexual Content, Mages, Magic, Multi, Unresolved Sexual Tension, adding tags as I go, and by some i mean a lot, going to break some canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:14:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22795354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandorarama/pseuds/Pandorarama
Summary: Garnet Bloodborrn left her home after she realized that she had no idea what to do with her life.Wraith can't remember anything before she met Krahmarrsah.Simple truths that become complicated when they both manage to escape Helgen, and when Garnet turns out to be Dragonborn.And then, things start to be remembered that were best left forgotten.
Relationships: Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Original Female Character/Original Male Character, Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 1





	1. A Barrow of Bleakness

**Author's Note:**

> I'm moving certain fics from my old account, and have renamed it to separate them. My old account will be solely used for my fic which used to be titled the Seer.  
> Art for Wraith: https://pandorarama.tumblr.com/post/190814702525/wraith-4e-187-female-magebattlemagebard-she-is

**4E 201**

**One day after Helgen**

When Wraith had awoken for the first time, she found herself in the middle of a desert with nothing more than a scrap of paper in her hand, a bag a foot away and a head left empty of memories.

_You are Wraith. The amulet will keep you safe. No one can know._

Inside the bag was a combination of potions, herbs, books and two journals. One was full of spells with intricate and specific instructions, clearly written by someone who knew what they were doing.

The other was burned except for one page and a map.

_You are in Elsweyr, follow the map. Do not try to find out who you were._

And so, with little more than the vague remembrance of magic, off to the nearest hold she had traveled. When the first gryphon swooped down at her she had barely avoided its claws, and had managed to recall a spell in the journal. Though she wasn’t exactly sure as to how, she had cast it near perfectly. She said near as the scars were still on her hands to this day. But with every enemy that fell before her, the more powerful and confident in her magical abilities she became. The magic felt so natural and familiar, like something she couldn’t forget even if she forgot everything else.

When she finally arrived in Riverhold, the Alfiq who would soon become one of her most notable teachers took note of her abilities, and she became the worst kept secret in Elsweyr that never reached the other provinces. Eventually, after nearly four years, she had the urge to leave Elsweyr, to leave Tamriel entirely and find out more about her past that she had been warned about. Some days, now nine years later, she still wondered if it had been a good idea, if perhaps Krahmarrsah would have been better off not being bound to her. He had been angry at first, which was of no surprise to any who knew of him, but he had become fond of her, at least he claimed he had. While she doubted that a decade was enough of a time for someone like him to truly change, he had stated quite plainly that being soul-bound to someone was a very different situation.

Fair enough she supposed.

It wasn’t like she could do much about the patch of soul gem imbedded in her chest.

And as she continued her travels, she explored what was left of Yokuda ( _which was very little_ ), traveled ‘across’ the Padomaic Ocean to Akavir ( _only to leave very quickly_ ), and stood on Atmora for five seconds before saying fuck that and heading south past Tamriel to Aldmeris. 

She hated talking of Aldmeris.

Eventually she headed back up north to Yokunda, then towards the Summerset Isle for three years, then towards Cyrodill, where she met a merchant from Skyrim who had books on dragons, and soon she was on her way to Skyrim. There _was_ another reason, but she didn’t really want to get into that. 

It's easy to guess what happened next. 

So now, with Helgen behind her, she had the intent on finding more about the dragons of Skyrim.

With all the teachers she had met and been taught by over the years, it had left her with an arsenal of spells that could throw off even the most seasoned veteran, along with the way she cast them. Conjuration was a specific school of magic that Wraith was intertwined with in ways that even most mages could not quite understand. She could pull atronachs from Oblivion with a flick of her fingers or a weapon with a wave of her hand without making a dent in her magicka.

But it made little difference when your enemy was named The World Eater.

Now, after some recuperation in the nearby village of Riverwood, she was doing a favor for the general goods store owner, which fortunately allowed her to use her favorite type of magic. Shame she had to be subtle about it though.

Up here she had a vantage point, just high enough that she had the drop on the bandits, but also that if she needed to hide she could just duck down. She had to be careful though. It was just starting to snow, and slipping was becoming even more of a risk.

Forming a shape in the air, she let the magic flow through her fingertips, and curled her hands around a bound daedric bow. As she pulled the string back, an arrow materialized, and her fingers hooked around it. Closing an eye, she leaned ever so slightly forward-

“What are you doing here?”

The arrow released and she swore, dispelling both bow and arrow before it could give away her location the bandits. Krahmarrsah screeched deep in her chest, and she gently tapped at the gem to ease him, turning to see the nord woman she had escaped Helgen with.

The nord, as she had been when they had escaped, was larger than her in not only height but also in her physique. Her hair, which had been loose and off to the side, was now pulled back into a braid down the center of her head. Her armor was not quite dull, yet close enough to it that she felt relief, confident that there would be no glare from Magnus to alert the sentries. The anxiety was back full force as she recognized the intricate etchings in the armor, and she quickly stamped it down along with Krahmarrsah’s yelling.

“I came to an agreement with Lucan Valerius, the man who runs the Riverwood trader? Well, the woman who works at the inn refused to sell me a room for the night, so I decided to purchase a few resist frost potions from him, and he offered to give me a place to sleep for the night if I help him with retrieving something that was stolen in a break in. I said sure, so here I am.” She summoned the bow back into her hands, leaning against and around the pillar to whistle a sharp, high note that echoed. The Bandits all turned, trying to figure out where the noise came from. A burst of magic and the arrow was released, curving in a path to split into three and take them out. She had her bow dispelled before they hit the ground, and looked back over her shoulder at the woman.

"You?" 

The nord woman didn’t seem all that impressed, and Wraith resisted the urge to pout. She was well aware of the fact that most nords weren’t impressed by magic, but even so that trick usually managed to garner some begrudging interest. Or an arched brow.

Or something.

Ah, well.

She had a few more tricks up her sleeve.

“I’m here to retrieve the same thing.” Wraith could feel her shoulders tense up, mentally going over every spell she had while trying to argue Krahmarrsah on the importance of waiting a damn moment.

‘Wraith you need to let me out this instant-’ 

“Alvor had mentioned that an altmer had gone up the mountain earlier. I asked him about what you looked like, and he said, I quote ‘Looked far to weathered and uncultured to be a thalmor, and that she was the one you dragged here’. Wasn’t that hard to link it to the same high elf who flipped off Elenwen and called her a bitch.” The elf could feel the glee and pride from Krahmarrsah, and couldn’t resist the minute giggle.

“Yeah, I don’t regret that.”

“As a side note, the rest of Riverwood may be talking about it once we get back down the mountain. I felt obligated to let them know so that they don’t try to attack you. I may or may not have also just told them to not attack you.” The red haired woman stood up to her full height, and narrowed her eyes down at her.

“... What?” Wraith felt sweat on the back of her neck, even in the chill of the mountain. Gods this woman was terrifying. Were all Bloodborrns this intimidating?

“You’re very short for an altmer.”

“And you’re very tall for a nord.” Which wasn’t a lie. Even with bulky armor nords didn't tend to get much taller than six feet, but this nord was either six and a half or nearing seven, which made her wonder how tall the patriarch of the Bloodborrn family was. Wraith herself didn’t even hit six… just five ten.

So yes, she was a bit short. Or at least a bit shorter than usual. She had learned a while back that heels were not the best idea to wear on the rocky terrain of Skyrim, or anywhere really. It was fine in the cities, but even the villages and roads were rocky enough to warrant flats or at least shorter heels. 

Which was a shame. She really missed her boots.

The nord gave a shrug of her shoulders, as if saying fair enough.

“Back to the subject at hand, how would you feel about a competition of sorts.” 

“You mean on who kills the most bandits?” Wraith arched a brow and slid down the stone wall, the other woman following. Balancing her landing, she stood to her full height and leaned against one of the fallen pillars. The Bloodborrn landed with a loud thud, and if there had been any bandits left they definitely would have heard it.

“And whatever else inside. Whoever wins gets the claw and glory.” 

The mage considered it for a moment, before laughing softly.

“You have yourself a deal Bloodborrn. But I suggest you catch up quickly, as I’m already in the lead.” She vaulted herself over the pillar, ignoring the nords shout and scampered up the steps as fast as she could. With her head start she made it to the top before the other woman, her heavy armor having slowed her down. 

“I’d get it myself, but it will go much faster if you were to.” Wraith laughed, stepping aside to let the nord grab at the door. She pulled it open, its groan heard over the howling of the wind, and Wraith peered inside.

Standard ruin.

Well, at least she assumed it was standard. She hadn't exactly gotten a chance to explore any after crossing the border.

“After you.” The Nord spoke, bracing her arm and leaning against the door to keep it open. Wraith eased her way by, and the woman let it close behind them after they were both inside. The sound echoed throughout the ruin, and Wraith prayed that it had not awoken anything.

The ruin was dark, with barely a few lit candles and what appeared to be a fire several rooms away, and Wraith conjured a weak candlelight spell. Shadows were cast along the wall and she resisted the urge to sneeze, the musty smell of nordic ruin something she was not used to. There was more of a chill in here than outside, but without the biting wind it was barely noticeable. A beat passed, and she cast clairvoyance as an afterthought, the path curving around several spots, and she turned back to the woman behind her.

She held out her hand.

“So you don’t trip.” She smiled sweetly, but it turned more genuine as it was taken, a clawed gauntlet gently curly its fingers around her own. The nord seemed overly trusting, perhaps a bit too much so, but she was a Bloodborrn after all. What hope would Wraith have against her in battle?

“Lead the way…”

“Wraith. Just Wraith.” The Nord smiled, and she could just make out two pairs of fangs.

“Garnet Bloodborrn, although I guess you already knew that.”

“Only knew you were Bloodborrn, Lady Garnet.” Garnet grimaced.

“Please, just Garnet.” She laughed softly, but agreed.

“Alright Garnet.” And she gently tugged her along, making sure to have a destruction spell in her free hand.

As she said, never explored a Skyrim ruin.

Couldn't hurt to be prepared.


	2. A Claw of Gold and Tablet of Stone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm moving certain fics from my old account, and have renamed it to separate them. My old account will be solely used for my fic which used to be titled the Seer

Garnet looked between the claw and the door, before eventually handing it over to the elf, who took it with a look that could only be described as smug.

“No idea what the fuck this thing is.” As much as she was loath to admit it, these doors had always been her nemesis. Add that with her armour splattered with blood from the one bandit she had managed to get, and she was slightly pissed off. There was no blood from the two draugr she had killed  _ (was that even the right word? Could you even kill something that was already dead?) _ , but Wraith had gotten most of them with a mixture of magic and using the tombs traps against them.

She still felt that using her magicka to create weapons and traps was cheating, and she ignored the hypocrisy.

“Well, it's a golden claw-” Talos was she  _ really _ going to do this?

“Well I fucking know  _ that _ .”

“-but I think it's also a key.” Wraith continued on, ignoring the interruption. “These markings match a few on the door.” She flipped over the claw to show the small carvings. The order on the claw did not match the door, but it was obvious as to how the puzzle worked.

Son of a  _ bitch _ .

“I have been stopped for getting through these catacombs for years because of these doors, and these stupid claws could open them the entire time?!” Garnet  _ roared _ out, causing the walls to shake and Wraith to step back. The Bloodborrn almost outright shifted when she caught a glance of the altmer. 

Wraith was looking at her with wide eyes, pressing back into the wall as though she was trying to get away from her. All the anger was gone, leaving only sorrow. It was hardly the first time she had scared an outsider.

“My apologies Wraith,” she muttered, stepping away from the terrified elf. “I shouldn’t have…” She trailed off, unable to find the words to properly apologise. This was why she traveled alone, why most of her family believed she would remain on her own.

There was a tense, awkward silence.

“It's fine Garnet. It startled me,” The nord kept her head bowed, and could see the elf approach her. She narrowed in on the sensation of her touching her arm, even though there was armor. “but it's fine. Just, save that party trick for the enemy, alright?” Wraith let her hand fall and approached the door, and Garnet was surprised that she was so calm and relaxed. Usually after an outburst like that her traveling companion would refuse to come near her, unless they were from her home.

“Okay!” The altmer chirped, all fear forgotten  _ (or at least pushed aside) _ , glancing between the claw and the door. “So if we just do this…”

She pressed against one of the rings and it turned on its own, the action taking a few moments to match the door and claw. Pressing it against the door, she let the ornaments claws fit into the lock, and turned it. There was the sound of stone against stone, the door sliding down into the floor. 

“Alright!” Wraith gave a clap of her hands and stepped back as it opened, smiling at the woman.

Blue met red.

"Garnet?" The nord gave a shake of her head, and blue was gold.

"What?"

"You just sort of.... weren’t there for a moment." The door was fully open now, and she glared down at the floor.

"I'm fine." It was very clear by the expression on Wraith's face that she did not believe her at all, but let the subject drop and turned towards the doorway.

“Oh great. Stairs.” Wraith gave a good nature sigh, before stepping up them, humming a soft tune. Garnet followed a second later, and felt concerned when she noticed that Wraith had stopped at the top, and her humming had gone quiet.

“Whoa… This place is… Wow.”

“What, you’ve never been inside a cavern before?”

“Not in Skyrim, and not often in general. I tend to avoid them, even though they can be this beautiful.” She took a few hesitant steps into the wide space, turning around to face the nord. For a moment Garnet wondered how young she was, to be impressed by something so trivial.

Perhaps, though, the Bloodbornn was just used to it.

“Are they all this way?” Garnet shrugged her shoulders, climbing the last few steps to stand beside her. 

“Some. Tombs tend to be the more ornate of the lot, while caverns like this are a natural beauty, more or less. I’d recommend Brood Cavern, or the Eldergleam sanctuary. Once we get out of here and return the claw, maybe I could take you there.”

The elf stared at her.

Red met gold.

_ Fuck. _

“I-i-i mean-” There was a quiet laugh, and a soft smile appeared on Wraiths’ face, the altmer closing the distance between them, gently pressing a hand against her chest and leaning close.

“I’d quite like that Garnet. I’ll take you up on that.” She stepped back with a wink, and turned to walk further into the cavern, humming softly to herself once again. Garnet could feel the flush on her face, and took a breath to compose herself. The other woman wasn't that far ahead when she felt she had enough control, and caught up to her quickly. The further into the cavern they went, the louder the noise of rushing water became, the few waterfalls not uncommon in areas like these. Up ahead was an illuminated area, with enough holes in the cavern for her to tell that there was still daylight outside, but that sunset must not be far off.

“That's… definitely not nordic. Or elven. Is that Draconic?” Wraith had stopped once again, but seemed to be talking more to herself than to Garnet.

“Wraith?”

“What? Oh!” she startled at the call of her name, fiddling idly with her sleeves, “Sorry, I’ve just never found a word wall before. I’ve only heard of them. Although I suppose they wouldn’t be found outside of Skyrim, but maybe in…” She turned away from the woman again, muttering to herself, but Garnet paid no mind. Her attention was on the aforementioned word wall not far, listening intently. 

And… the wall was chanting.

“Do you hear that?” She wasn’t asking the elf, only asking the question aloud.

“Hear what? Garnet?” The high elf had stopped both her slight pacing and muttering, but Garnet kept going until her hand touched the wall.

_ Fus _

She felt a rush of energy, of something almost pushing her back. It was a mixture of cold and hot and she wanted to let go, wanted to get away but something so deep inside her craved to know more, to finish.

When the world came back to her, Garnet had fallen to her knees, panting and sweating despite the coldness of the tomb. Wraith was by her side, kneeling and having a restoration spell in her hand, but she gently grabbed her wrist to stop her.

“No, no. I just need a moment. I need… I need a moment to feel it.” That garnered a look of confusion, but Wraith gave a nod and let the spell wane to nothing. Garnet leaned against the wall, trying to even out and control her breathing. 

There was a sudden loud cracking, and they both turned to see that the lid of the coffin behind them was shifting, only to be pushed off. The dry, bony hand of a draugr gripped the side, and what stood from it had much more and different armor than the ones they had killed before. It stood in front of them, opened its mouth and her eyes widened.

Garnet grabbed Wraiths shoulders and threw them both off of the ledge, letting herself take the brunt of the fall.

Dust and the few jars there were flew over them, crashing a fair distance away. Garnet got to her feet quickly, helping up the mage who dusted herself off. The sound of the draugr had them moving, each summoning a weapon. Wraith had her bound bow and arrows, while Garnet had a strong grip on Fjiera, gripping closer to the blade then the middle.

“So a draugr that can shout. Any plans?”

“Not really.” The draugr was now running at them, and Garnet swung her axe, the blade sinking into the armor but no further. She tore it free and jumped back as he swung, letting out a roar as an arrow sunk into his leg. He turned towards the mage who had gotten back on the ledge, and she ducked down and clung on as he shouted at her again.

“I don’t often fight ones that do.”

Garnets axe went into his back while it was turned, and was jerked out as he turned back towards her. They continued this battle for a while, the draugr turning his attention between the two. He was much stronger than any of the other draugr she had faced, and the thought that this could have been one of the Death Overlords she had been told of as a child came to her. Perhaps she should have paid more attention to her mother’s lessons.

She grunted as she took a hit from the draugr, the armor protecting her from much injury but would definitely have a bruise on her shoulder from this.

The draugr raised his arms for another attack-

The was the blade of a glowing sword through his chest, and Garnet blinked in surprise. There was a sharp noise of the blade being pulled out, and the draugr teetered for a moment, before collapsing in front of her. It reminded her of the puppet show she had once seen as a child in Cyrodiil, when the strings had broken and the puppet fell to the ground.

Wraith was behind it, a faint sheen of sweat along her forehead and a bound sword in her hand. Her skin was pale, and she had a slight shake.

Garnet noticed the wound a moment later.

Her leg was soaked in blood, and the nord moved quickly to support the woman, rummaging through the elfs pocket at her motioning to pull out a potion of healing. Opening it, she gave it to the other woman and watched as she chugged it down. The flesh was knitting itself together, not unlike the way a restoration spell would, which was uncommon for the potions. It seemed that she had either gotten the potion from a master alchemist, or that she had a great skill in the alchemical field.

“Fuck that hurts.” She leaned her head back, and Garnet carefully set her down on a rock, checking over her leg.

“Well, it seems the potion did its trick. Looks fine now.”

“Yeah, hadn’t even noticed it until the adrenaline wore off.” Wraith let out a humorless laugh, groaning slightly as she put more weight on it.

“I’m going to check out the chest by the coffin, let you have a few moments to rest and then we’ll head back towards Riverwood, alright?” Satisfied with a nod, the nord woman dispelled her weapon and headed over towards the chest. There was not much of note inside, merely a few arrows she never used and assumed Wraith wouldn’t judging by her lack of physical weapons, a potion which would have gone bad centuries ago, and something wrapped in cloth at the bottom of it all.

She rose back to her full height with it in hand, and unwrapped the cloth. Inside was a tablet, made of a material she couldn’t place. She furrowed her brow and made her back towards her resting companion, making the small leap off the outcropping and handing it over to her.

“What do you make of this?”

Garnet watched the altmer look it over, frowning and muttering to herself. Flipping over the tablet, her muttering stopped, and her eyes widened.

“It's a map.” She whispered, her face pale.

“Of what?” Wraith didn’t elaborate, gently tracing shaking fingers across the words carved on the back.

“It's the Dragonstone. It's a map of all the dragon burials, and it speaks of the return of Alduin.”

Of course it would. Home for the first time in years and the World Eater returns to Skyrim.

“Ah. Well. That's great to know.” Wraith wrapped the tablet back in the cloth and shoved it into her satchel.

“We need to get this to Whiterun immediately. It's the only place I trust with something like this.” Garnet didn’t argue, holding out her arm for the elf to grab onto. She waited while Wraith tested her leg.

“As soon as we get to Whiterun, I’m getting you some proper leg armor.” The high elf was surprised by that.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Consider it thanks for opening the door and killing the draugr.”

Wraith shook her head but didn’t say more on the subject, and let the nord lead the way out of the cave. They had both been avoiding talking of Helgen, and they both would, at least until they arrived in Whiterun.

Garnet did not know what Wraith would do after they arrived, as to whether or not she would stay. Would she leave to travel Skyrim? She had no doubt that the elf would most likely want to return to her home, but the fact that she had been recognized by unhappily Elenwen meant that the Thalmor would not let her. 

“Wraith?” She hummed in response.

“Do you ever miss your home?” The altmer smiled, a secretive, cryptic smile.

“I am home Garnet.” She refused to say more no matter what the nord asked her, and she eventually let the subject drop. The journey back to Riverwood was quiet, and when they arrived it was dark, but Lucan answered when the elf knocked. He seemed surprised to see her and Garnet, but the surprise turned to gratefulness when she held up the claw, and he quickly let them both in.

The store was warm and Garnet sighed in content. Her eyes roved over the shelves as the imperial and elf conversed quietly, and she made a mental list as to what she may need. 

"...I'll never forget this. You've done a great thing for me and my sister.” The elf took the praise well, with a practiced smile that if perhaps she were not an altmer would put anyone at ease.

“It was the least I could do, especially since you took me in for the night.”

“Since it's so late, we would be happy to take you in again for the night.” It was a woman who spoke, and the similarities were enough that Garnet could tell they were family, a sister or cousin since there wasn't too much of a difference in age.

“I wouldn’t want to impose…”

“Please, we would feel much better knowing that you are in here and warm instead of out on the cold street. And we’d like for you to stay as well, Lady Garnet.” Garnet nodded, grateful as the inn keeper had been quite rude, even for her tolerance. Supper passed with little fanfare and she settled down in front of the fire while dispelling her armor, intent on another sleepless night.

“So. That ‘Dragonstone’ we found. Is it really him?” Garnet turned towards Wraith who had sat down beside her, gently rubbing her thumb along the etchings of dragon words.

“It mostly speaks of his return but, I mean, I-I don’t know. I can guess that yes? It is? But we’re just guessing that it's Alduin, in all honesty. If the rumors are to be believed, not all dragons were killed. Some fled, some were locked away, others… it could be him. It might not be, and unless we ask him ourselves, there's no one around to ask.” Garnet thought back to Helgen, when the dragon had looked at her with eyes of Oblivion and fire.

“If I said, that I knew for certain that it was Alduin,” Keeping her voice quiet, low and even, she was well aware of gold eyes on her. “Would you believe me?” Nothing was said and they both watched the fire until it started to die, and she threw in a piece of wood.

“I would.”

Garnet was surprised she had awoken, but more so that she had fallen asleep in the first place, especially in a new location, surrounded by people she did not know and had not known for more than a day. There was a noise beside her and she turned her head to the right, well aware of her lack of armor, and felt relief. Wraith was still asleep not too far from her, and there was a small glow on her chest before it was gone.

A whisper of words so very quiet, that she wondered if she had even heard it.

_ Aak ek, Dovahkiin. _


	3. Reaching the Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm moving certain fics from my old account, and have renamed it to separate them. My old account will be solely used for my fic which used to be titled the Seer.

Garnet let out a disgruntled noise and rolled over, sun falling over her face and she threw an arm across her eyes. There was a snort that led to a giggle, and she lifted her arm, cracking open an eye to glance about the room.

The golden haired woman was sitting at a table, a book open and a small loaf of bread beside her. Sitting up Garnet rubbed at her eyes, yawning loudly and stretching her arms upwards.

“I was hoping you would awaken soon. I was not looking forward to having to wake you myself.”

Rolling her eyes at the other woman's ribbing, the nord stood to her full height and reveled in the feeling of being without her armor. Typically she would be uncomfortable being so exposed, but for some reason she had never felt better.

“Ha ha, very funny. What hour is it?” 

“Nearing noon. I felt it best to let you sleep as late as possible, considering how fast you fell asleep.” Garnet arched a brow.

“How fast did I fall asleep?”

“Not long after you asked whether or not I believe you. I do by the way.”

“Yeah, you told me last night.”

“Wait, you heard that? That was hours after you fell asleep. You snore by the way. Or purr.”

Garnet blinked for a few moments, then looked directly at her chest. Wraith crossed her arms quickly, exclaiming loudly.

“Excuse me?!”

“Shit! No- sorry, its just- last night it just- your chest was glowing- a voice- oh fuck.” She dropped to the ground in a seat, a loud ringing and her face red. She felt the urge to shift and run as far as possible. Talos, first she scares the poor elf and then stares at her chest?! Gods what kind of a woman was she-

A warm hand was placed against her back, and Wraith kneeled beside her. She avoided her gaze, and her claws dug into her scalp.

“You said that my chest was glowing?”

Garnet nodded, not trusting herself to say the wrong thing. The high elf managed to pry her fingers from her scalp, and pressed the hand against her chest.

It was firm, and Garnet turned towards her.

“There is a soul gem in my chest.” She pulled her shirt down enough that she could make out the colours of a soul gem, and something glowing softly.

“If you were able to see the glow that is a bit of a concern for me. I won’t go into much detail, only that it's important. So I won't say anything about you staring at my chest.” Her face turned red again and she dropped her head in her hands and groaned. Wraith patted her back and stood back up, grabbing her satchel.

“Catch.” Garnet looked up just as the bread came flying towards her and she caught it, looking at her in confusion.

“Well if we’re heading to Whiterun then you need to eat something. Oh don’t give me that look. We survived Helgen, a Draugr Death Overlord and this minor incident. Besides, you're good company. If you _really_ don't want to, then that's fine too, and I may just see you there later. Otherwise...” She stuck out her hand with a grin, and Garnet looked at it for a moment. Carefully, she grabbed the hand and was pulled up, letting her armor materialize.

“All right Wraith. Once we get to Whiterun I’ve got to stop by my sisters, and then I'll meet you up at Dragonsreach, unless you’d rather join me?”

“I’ll meet you there. Besides, I have my own place to stop by while I'm there.” 

* * *

Krahmarrsah hissed deep in her bones the closer to Dragonsreach she got, and she fought the urge to verbally shush him. Her adventuring as always been solo, and those who did hear her speak aloud to him tended to be bandits and the like, so they weren’t much of a problem. Whenever she was in cities or villages she tended to either have a book in her hand or a parchment or something that those around her could write off as just a studying mage or weary author. 

After taking her... _leave,_ of Cyrodiil, she hadn’t really considered the problem of being an altmer in Skyrim, especially in the more Stormcloak run holds. She tended to avoid those holds, and tried to make herself seem as non-Thalmor as possible.

Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. She usually hauled ass out of there when it got to a point that she had to sleep with one eye open.

Garnet had mentioned heading to her sisters before meeting her at the castle that overlooked the city, and had expressed concern at her going on her own. Wraith had waved off the concerns, but had realised that perhaps she should have erred on the side of caution. While most had considered her to be of the College of Winterhold, there were enough that considered her to be Thalmor. 

She really had made a poor choice…

But the alternative was worse…

She blocked out the ranting and raving nord who turned his ire towards her, merely picking up her pace towards the palace doors and pushing down Krahmarrsah rage. There was no surprise when one of the guards approached, stating quite harshly.

“State your business.” 

“I have some information on the dragon attack at Helgen, and on what may be some further dragon attacks.” He glanced back at the other guard, and gave a jerk of his head towards the doors. He nodded and entered the palace, leaving both guard and altmer on their own. Clasping her hands in front of her, she avoided his gaze and looked out onto the city, the massive dying tree catching her eye.

“Why would a _Thalmor_ try and help Skyrim?” She adjusted the shoulder strap, and pulled her gaze away to make eye contact with him.

“The Thalmor tried to kill me and I called the lovely ambassador a bitch. I have no affiliations with them, I’m merely a mage.”

The helmet hid any facial expressions, but his body showed some surprise and disbelief. The next minute or so passed in relative silence.

“That doesn’t answer the question.” She had no hesitation.

“Because no matter what anyone believes, Skyrim is my home. It always has been, and it always will be.”

The door opening interrupted whatever he had to say, the guard having returned.

“They want to speak to her.”

She nodded her thanks to the both of them, ducking by the man who held the door open for her. A conversation started as the door closed, and she faintly heard, ‘called her a what?’ before the door cut it off.

It was quite nice in Dragonsreach, an appeal of regality yet still homely. Not like the crude yet impressive stonework of the Palace of Kings, nor the ornate delicacy of the Blue Palace.

It felt safe.

At least it did until Krahmarrsah noticed the dragon skull above the throne, and the rage started once again.

_How dare they, making-_

He quickly fell silent at her internal plea, and she slowed her pace as a dunmer approached her with a hand on the hilt of a sword.

“So you’re claiming you have information about the dragon attack on Helgen?”

“Yes Ma’am. I was there when the dragon attacked, just as the Thalmor were set to end us all. I also have something that may be of use to… anticipate or help with defending from any future attacks.” The woman narrowed her eyes at her, but took a step back.

“The Jarl will want to speak to you personally.” She said no more, turning on the heel of her foot to head towards the Jarl, Wraith following close enough to not fall behind yet far back enough to not give the woman, who she assumed was a housecarl, any reason to turn the sword on her. 

At the top of the short staircase, she took a few steps forward and gave a bow to the Jarl.

“Irileth tells me you come from Helgen, and have something that may help us in the future with any Dragon attacks?”

“I-yes. The dragon attack occurred not long after we arrived. There was me, several stormcloaks, a thief, a Bloodborrn, an alchemist-”

“Wait, wait. You said there was a Bloodborrn? At Helgen?”

“Yes, Sera. I believe she mentioned visiting her sister while she was here.”

“I did.” They turned towards the door at the sound of her voice, Garnet approaching them with a woman beside her.

“Lady Scarlette and Lady Garnet!” The Jarl stood from his seat, all eyes on the Bloodborrn sisters as they approached the throne. Wraith moved off towards the right, away from them as they all began conversing rapidly, and she felt a slight sense of relief and annoyance. Relief at being able to step away for a moment, yet annoyance at being interrupted.

But now she wasn’t quite sure what to do. Should she try to get their attention, or should she wait until they are finished?

She let out a sigh as Garnet began retelling the story she had been about to start, the group moving upstairs to continue. 

Pulling out one of the many chairs at the table, she sat in it for a wait. After a moment, she pulled out a book. Might as well get some reading done while she could, even if the sensation of the guards gaze on her was a bit distracting. Eventually, hopefully, they would ease, or she would be called upstairs to join the conversation.

* * *

The book fell from her grip as a hand dropped onto her shoulder, startling the elf and she blinked blearily. The sun had set near an hour ago, and the candles were burning the last of their wax, making puddles in their dishes. She rubbed her eyes, summoning the weakest of ice spells in an attempt to will away her subtle headache.

“I hope you’re up for a bit of an adventure Wraith.” The mage gave a ‘whatever’ wave of her hand, pushing herself up and stretching. 

“Do I get a say?”

“Technically yes, but I know it would be appreciated.”

“So technically no then. Alright, what kind of adventure?” 

“We have to head to a ruin called Bleak Falls Barrow. Turns out there's a Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow that we need to get. Once we get back upstairs, the Jarls court wizard is goin to give us directions.”

The elf looked at her for a long hard moment.

“What?”

“Garnet,” She let her arms drop slowly, well aware of the guards watching from their posts, “We have the Dragonstone of Bleak Falls Barrow.”

“...What?”

Reaching into her bag, Wraith pulled out the aforementioned tablet.

“..Oh.” The guards were doing a mixture of snickering and muttering, and Wraith felt a small amount of pity for the red haired and faced nord. 

“What on Nirn did you think this was? Just a Dragonstone?”

Wraith arched a brow, and the nords face only reddened more.

“Alvor only mentioned the place as a ruin okay? And it's been a long few days alright? Between the ambush and Helgen, not to mention our earlier travel of the barrow-”

“Garnet.” She interrupted and stepped closer, looking at her with calm eyes.

“It's alright. You’ve been through a lot, so there's no need to be so hard on yourself.” She turned towards the staircase and glanced back over her shoulder.

“Might as well get this done and over with. I’m not telling them you forgot we had it though. That’s on you.” Garnet gave a soft laugh and shrugged her shoulders, following her to the stairs.

“Thats fair.


	4. In which a Dragon Rises

It was a quiet Sundas, with most citizens of the city having begun their day a few hours ago and were all set to begin their lunch. There was a sense of calm, all the fears of the past few days were forgotten for a few moments. In the largest house of the Cloud district, there was the noise of an active household, although the noise did not reach one of the many rooms, until one did. Wraiths brow furrowed and she let out a moan, the sound of someone pounding on the main door an awful noise this early in the morning. The elf rolled onto her back, stretching her arms up and legs out. Sun warmed her pale skin and she made a noise of satisfaction, cracking open an eye. She gave a glance towards the enchanted hourglass and retracted her mental statement. It was still an awful noise this close to the afternoon. The talk had lasted longer into the night than she had been hoping, and both her and Garnet had been dead on their feet by the end of it. 

_ “Well I don’t know about you, but I am going to bed.” Stepping back away from the table, Wraith grabbed her bag off the chair she had set it on, slinging it over her shoulder. The Dragonstone had been handed over to the court wizard as soon as she had gotten to the top of the stairs, and Garnet had made it obvious that she was to be allowed to be a part of these conversations.  _

_ Garnet frowned, standing to her full height from where she had been leaning against the table. _

_ “Where are you going to sleep?” _

_ The elf gave a shrug of her shoulders, rubbing at the back of her neck.  _

_ “I’ll just get a room down at the inn. Worst case the temple may let me sleep there.” Most likely not, but it wouldn’t have been the first time she’d slept on the street, and it wouldn’t be the last. _

_ “Absolutely not. We have enough spare rooms to fit the rest of my family, so you are going to sleep at my home.” It was the first time she had heard the eldest of the Bloodborrn children speak, and she was surprised at how soft it sounded, yet still loud enough that it almost startled her. _

_ “I wouldn’t want to impose-“ She really did  _ **_not_ ** _ want to stay. _

_ “Nonsense. You’ve kept my sister alive for this long and got us the Dragonstone without needing to make a return trip. It’s the least I can do.” The Bloodborrn sister wasted no time in interrupting her, although Garnet did glare at her. _

_ “I was fine Scar. I survived this long on my own.” _

_ “I… thank you Lady Scarlette, for your generosity.” The eldest gave a flippant wave of her hand, placing one hand on her hip and motioning towards her younger sibling. _

_ “Think nothing of it. Garnet here will take you to the home and show you to your room.” The nord held out an arm to the mage, and she let her own link through.  _

_ Scarlette didn’t miss a beat, although the others seemed to waver. _

_ “Now do make sure to get a good night's rest. We’ll meet again here after supper to continue our discussion.” It was uncertain if she was talking to Garnet or both, but Wraith was led down the stairs and out of Dragonsreach. _

Checking herself and the amulet over, Wraith made the decision that now would be a good time to leave and move on. She still wanted at least a few more hours of sleep, but it was better to get up and move on instead of overstaying her welcome. The elf had no illusions as to why she had been allowed to stay, Scarlette having been blunt in her explanation, but was unlikely she would be staying another night in the grandiose house. If she was, she would make sure to have a reason to leave town before she got too comfortable.

As she went slip on her boots, she noticed the armor next to it, along with a note. Hesitantly she grabbed the note, unfolding it to a flowing script. After a moment she smiled with a faint flush on her cheeks.

_ Wraith, _

_ I knocked this morning but you were still asleep and I didnt want to disturb you or seem weird, so I just left the armor. Let me know if anything needs to be changed. _

_ Garnet. _

She was overcome with the urge to keep the note, but came to the conclusion that it may come off as creepy. A moment of consideration about whether or not she should keep the armor, but decided that it would be worth giving into desire this once. Even with the small incident that happened yesterday morning, Garnet was quite sweet, in her own way, not to mention respectful. But the elf was having a hard time deciding as to whether or not it was her being nice, or her flirting.

A small part of her hoped it was flirting, while the other told her that that was a bad idea

She was about done lacing her boots when there was some more loud pounding at the main door, a second or so of silence, and then loud footsteps running up the stairs. The door slammed open and Garnet was there, eyes wide.

“They want us to meet at Western Watchtower. There’s been a dragon sighted.” Wraith frowned, finishing off her boots and slipping the armor plates on.

“Why would they want me there?” Why  _ would  _ they want her there?

“They said we had the most experience with them.” Wraith narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brows, rising from her bent position.

“Did you tell them our experience consisted of running and screaming?”

“...I did say it consisted of mostly running, but they believe we may be able to help coordinate a defense since we have a vague idea of how they attack.” The mage couldn’t help but shake her head at that, a slight hysterical laugh escaping her.

“We have a vague idea of how Alduin may attack, not any other dragon.” Not to mention the fact that he had leveled Helgen. A watchtower would be nothing for him to destroy.

“Whether we like it or not, they’re not wrong. Besides the only others who would know are the Thalmor, Stormcloaks and few Imperial and civilian survivors. We’re all they have here.”

Wraith bit back a groan. Garnet was not wrong, no matter how much both she and Krahmarrsah didn’t like it, and in her good consciousness she couldn’t just leave them.

_ They could kill you Wraith, I need- _

_ Trust me Krahmarrsah _

There was no answer, then a soft and reluctant  _ okay _

“Well alright Bloodborrn,” She pulled back her hair from her face, giving the woman a smirk.

“Let’s go kill us a dragon.”


	5. Dovahkiin of Now

Years from now, when red eyes would look up at her and ask _‘what was it like, becoming the dragonborn?’,_ Garnet would recall this one moment more than anything else. 

To find that the tower was still standing was unexpected, but perhaps standing was a generous term. 

It was still leaning, at least.

Even with Fjiera firm in hand, Garnet felt anxious. She had faced up against giants and centurions and all in between, but a dragon? This was outside her area of expertise, as there were few flying enemies that she truly had dealt with. Not to mention the closest to any sort of experience had been running and some _slight_ screaming, no matter what Wraith may claim.

But she had her sister and brother beside her, so hopefully they had a fair chance at taking the beast down.

“So what’s the plan?” Garnet startled slightly, having forgotten that Wraith was beside her.

“Keep on your guard. It could still be skulking around.” Irileth replied, an arrow nocked and ready to be drawn back at a moments notice. The guards had a mixture of bows and swords, and she could smell the fear and trepidation. _Brave souls_ , she thought, _may the gods watch over them_.

Avoiding one of the still burning fires, she halted at Scarlette’s raised hand, as did Raud. She was lead in this battle, and they would follow her orders. The others did the same, though they would follow any orders Irileth gave before the Bloodborrns unless told otherwise.

“It’s still here.” Raud spoke up, Broddr held loosely at his side. He was the least concerned of the three, almost taking this as a joke. But with that being said, some instinct inside her told her that he would not disobey any of Scarlettes orders. Even with his flippant attitude, he seemed to know how out of their league they could be.

No one in their family had fought a dragon in centuries. 

“Mirmulnir…” She could hear Wraith mutter beneath her breath, and so did Scarlette if her turn of her head was anything to go by.

“What?”

“No! Get back!” Garnet's head snapped towards the tower, aware of the man who was clinging to the entrance, hiding.

“It’s still here somewhere! Hroki and Tor just got grabbed while trying to make a run for it!” There was an echoing roar, and she tightened her grip on Fjiera.

“Kynareth save us, here he comes again!” 

The dragon appeared from behind the mountain, and Garnet considered how big the skull in Dragonsreach was.

He was _massive_ compared to it.

His roar shook the ground, and a bit more of the tower fell. The familiar sound of a bound weapon being conjured had her grabbing the spare bow she had picked up before leaving the city. She was never a proficient marksman, but she could do well enough to hit a target of that size, even if it was moving. As long as they could get it to land, her and her family would hopefully be able to finish it off. The closer he approached, the more she realized just how large he was, and how out of their league they were. 

The beast was far larger than the mammoths she had hunted on occasion, his gaze was piercing and unnerving. The closer he got the more details she could make out, and even with her fear and anger, she felt a sensation of awe. He hovered in place for a moment, each beat of his wings loud, steady and sending up a breeze that whipped a heat across her bare skin.

“ **Yol Toor Shul!** ”

There was a crackling noise and then a wall of ice shot up from the ground, blocking most of the fire that had been coming their way. The ground around them was scorched and there was a small pool of water beneath their feet from where the ice had melted. Wraiths bow was gone and her arms were up with clenched fist, the mist of ice magic still prevalent. The soldiers that had been out a way began firing arrows, and she quickly followed. They bounced off the dragons scaly hide, and with a powerful beat of his wings, he flew higher into the sky.

Garnet could hear Scarlette cursing very loudly, and glanced back to see her summoning Skarpr and Scilt. The sword and shield were not unlike her axe, made of the same magic that all Bloodborrn carried with them. She turned her attention back towards the battle, getting more frustrated with every passing moment. None of the guards had any skill in magic, and they only had a finite supply of arrows that were doing anything to bring him down. Wraith was doing her best, but it was difficult to tell if any of her spells were making a difference 

It was difficult to tell if anyone was making a difference.

The dragon dived at them to land, sending dust and debris flying. The soldier group moved back at Irileths call, and the pair of sisters launched themselves at the dragon.

Scarlette slammed her shield into his jaw, slicing at his face with her sword. While the hit was strong enough to jerk his head, he quickly recovered enough to both dodge her and Garnets own attack. He reared back and flared out his wings, catching Garnet and sending her airborne. She landed on her side to roll several meters, and took a moment to assess the situation.

Which, in all blunt honesty, was not good.

Her eyes scanned the battlefield, and she was quick to notice that she could not find Wraith.

Had she run? Was she injured? Was she dead?

There was a loud, screeching roar from the dragon, and it began to throw its head back and forth. It reared on its legs, throwing out its wings, and just as it jumped into the air, she could make out the mage clutching to one of its horns. 

Tracking the dragon was not difficult until he got so high that the clouds hid the both of them

“That damn elf! The dragons and Thalmor are in league!” A soldier spat out behind her, and she resisted the urge to turn and snarl at him.

She didn't know Wraith. Didn’t know her past, her motivations, anything. For all the little she did know, the Altmer could be in league with the Thalmor, could have lied about everything else. Which made her feel quite sad and angry, as Wraith had been an amazing companion to have for the little traveling they did together.

Perhaps she was a little pathetic 

“In league? Did you not notice how hard it tried to throw her off?”

“Who in their right mind would try to get on its back?!” She blinked once, then twice, and took a few steps back.

He…

He was coming back. 

“It’s coming back!” She yelled over the squabbling, clutching Fjiera tighter. She could hear a strange screeching, and noticed that it wasn’t diving at them, but instead was falling. 

“Everyone move, Now!” Irileth ordered, and they scattered away from the watchtower. It was not a moment too soon, as the dragon slammed into the tower, a figure jumping off mere seconds before. He skidded across the ground, before stopping meters away.

For a moment they thought that that was it, that they had won. 

Garnet made her way past the debris to reach out a hand to Wraith, who grabbed it gratefully. The nord pulled her to her feet, catching her when she stumbled and then letting her take a step back.

“Have to admit it Wraith, that was pretty impressive.” She smiled at her, and Wraith grinned back, dusting herself off.

“Eh, it definitely wasn’t if you had been there with me. I was freaking out the entire time.” The nord laughed, leaning ever so slightly closer.

“I’ll keep that in mind. For right now, lets just-” There were interrupted by the yells of the guards and turned just as the dragon got to its feet, shaking off the crash as though it was nothing.

“ **_Dovahkiin_ **.” He hissed out, turning its gaze towards them. 

“ **_Tahrodiis Dovah_ ** !” They weren't sure as to who he was talking as he launched themselves at them. Garnet shoved the altmer behind her and raised her axe, slamming it down just as he reached them. There was a sensation of magic, and it sunk between the dragons' scales. He reared back and Fjiera was jerked from her grip, the force causing an ache in her shoulders and her to stumble slightly. There was an awful screeching noise, and she could make out the words “ **_Dovakiin_ **, no!” before he fell to the ground.

No one moved towards him, choosing to warily circle the beast, to make sure that this time, they had won the fight. 

One of the guards was the first to approach, poking at its tail with the tip of his sword with his shield still raised.

“Is it really..” One of them volunteered the question, getting ever so closer to where it lay.

“Dead? Yes I'd say so.” Irileth answered, walking up with Scarlette who still had sword and shield in grip. 

“What’s it doing?” The guard questioned, and Garnet wanted to scream.

Large ashes started to flake from its body, and there was a crackling noise, similar to a bonfire, and then-

“Everyone, stand back!”

-it’s body was ablaze, a golden fire that she could feel the heat from even as far as she was. Garnet let out a sigh of relief, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. The whole battle hadn’t seemed that long, but she could feel fatigue creeping up one her, and she was glad that it was over. 

There was a moment and then, what she would later understand that it was actually the dragons soul, what she thought was strands of magic encircled her, and she fell to her knees. There was a ringing in her ears, and she clutched at her head.

She was so tired, and let out a scream that shook the ground.

“ **_Fus!_ **”


End file.
